Flood warnings are in place in central and northern Scotland and all schools in the Western Isles and Orkney have been closed as a precaution, with ferry and train timetables reduced because of thewinds.

Scottish Hydro Power said engineers have been deployed to potential problem areas in its northern network and extra staff will be manning call centres.

Will Lang, chief meteorologist at the Met Office, said: "The winds will be at their strongest through the early hours of Friday and this brings the potential for disruption across Scotland, but there is a chance that strong, gusty winds could persist into the early part of the morning rush-hour as well.

"We'd advise anyone planning to travel during the early part of the morning and into the early rush-hour to be prepared for some transport disruption and check traffic and travel conditions before heading out to ensure you can make your journey safely."

Lashing rain is also to continue along the west coast today and over the weekend as a second storm is predicted to bring more gale-force winds on Saturday.

The AA warned that drivers faced "potentially hazardous" conditions.

John Seymour, national manager of the AA's severe weather team, said: "Scotland, particularly, is going to take something of a battering and drivers need to be prepared for possible widespread travel disruption and challenging driving conditions across the affected areas.

"If you have no choice but to drive, keep your speed down as sudden gusts can catch you out and there is a risk of debris on the roads."

Despite the storms, temperatures will be "exceptionally mild for that time of year" - widely hovering at 14C (57.2F) to 15C (59F), but snow looks set to arrive next week.

Forecaster Mr Lang said a wave of far cooler temperatures will hit which look set to bring snow flurries to parts of Scotland and Northern Ireland, especially on the higher ground.

Scotland is known for it's "four seasons in a day" weather conditions. Take a look at the unpredictable Scottish weather in our gallery below.